Traditional Adaptive Strategies: Hunting and Gathering
The Aeta people do a great amount of hunting and gathering among their territory. Hunting grounds have never been set but the Aeta share a mutual respect and agreement among other hunting groups. The residents of ancestral lands are very important to the Aeta. Hunting can be an individual event but it is typically a group effort. The Aeta people use dogs and weapons (bow and arrow). The Aeta have more than twenty different kinds of arrowheads; many are made from iron nails. Each arrow head has a different name and purpose. The Aeta people also use traps for capturing wild pigs, deer, chickens, and other birds. The Aeta tribe got most of their protein from hunting and fishing, especially before World War II. During hard times, gathering wild plants is an important source of food for the Aeta people. Hunting and gathering are a major part of the Aeta way of life. The eruption of Mount Pinatubo meant that their would be a decline in hunting and gathering for the Aeta people.
Environmental Issues: Eruption of Mount Pinatubo
Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991; this natural disaster took a heavy toll on the Mount Pinatubo area. It was the second largest eruption of the twentieth century. The Aeta possess a great understanding on their ecosystem which is evident in their shift in hunting and gather practices. The Aeta people survived in their environment by understanding the relationships between plants, animals, and seasons. Before the eruption, there was a decrease in forest area, which resulted in a decrease in edible plants. There was less game available, therefore hunting became less frequent of an activity. Because the Aeta were so limited, they adapted by engaging in more economic activities. Charcoal making and day-wage labor allowed the Aeta people to survive. After the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, the Aeta people found themselves living in evacuation centers. The Aeta were living off of goods provided by the government, non-government organizations, and churches. The mountain that had once been the home of the Aeta people was ejecting mass volumes of pyroclastic material. Within a year of the eruption, some of the Aerta people had returned to their land.
As the Aeta returned to their homes, they found the mountains and hills covered in volcanic ash. Their greatest challenge was to adapt to a changed post-eruption environment. Flexibility and mobility are two characteristics that helped the Aeta people survive. Traditional as well as newly developed survival techniques helped the Aeta when dealing with their altered environment. The Aeta have always depended on their environment for resources. The ash that heavily covered their land did not stop the Aeta from attempting to cultivate and adopt new crops. The Aeta soon learned that the ash helped with the cultivation of tubers. This new volcanic material mixed ith topsoil produces fertile soil. The Aeta farmed with this new type of soil. This mixture of sand and topsoil made farming easier especially when dealing with root crops, vegetables, and peanuts.
Traditional Adaptive Strategies: Hunting and Gathering
The Aeta people do a great amount of hunting and gathering among their territory. Hunting grounds have never been set but the Aeta share a mutual respect and agreement among other hunting groups. The residents of ancestral lands are very important to the Aeta. Hunting can be an individual event but it is typically a group effort. The Aeta people use dogs and weapons (bow and arrow). The Aeta have more than twenty different kinds of arrowheads; many are made from iron nails. Each arrow head has a different name and purpose. The Aeta people also use traps for capturing wild pigs, deer, chickens, and other birds. The Aeta tribe got most of their protein from hunting and fishing, especially before World War II. During hard times, gathering wild plants is an important source of food for the Aeta people. Hunting and gathering are a major part of the Aeta way of life. The eruption of Mount Pinatubo meant that their would be a decline in hunting and gathering for the Aeta people.Environmental Issues: Eruption of Mount Pinatubo
Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991; this natural disaster took a heavy toll on the Mount Pinatubo area. It was the second largest eruption of the twentieth century. The Aeta possess a great understanding on their ecosystem which is evident in their shift in hunting and gather practices. The Aeta people survived in their environment by understanding the relationships between plants, animals, and seasons. Before the eruption, there was a decrease in forest area, which resulted in a decrease in edible plants. There was less game available, therefore hunting became less frequent of an activity. Because the Aeta were so limited, they adapted by engaging in more economic activities. Charcoal making and day-wage labor allowed the Aeta people to survive. After the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, the Aeta people found themselves living in evacuation centers. The Aeta were living off of goods provided by the government, non-government organizations, and churches. The mountain that had once been the home of the Aeta people was ejecting mass volumes of pyroclastic material. Within a year of the eruption, some of the Aerta people had returned to their land.As the Aeta returned to their homes, they found the mountains and hills covered in volcanic ash. Their greatest challenge was to adapt to a changed post-eruption environment. Flexibility and mobility are two characteristics that helped the Aeta people survive. Traditional as well as newly developed survival techniques helped the Aeta when dealing with their altered environment. The Aeta have always depended on their environment for resources. The ash that heavily covered their land did not stop the Aeta from attempting to cultivate and adopt new crops. The Aeta soon learned that the ash helped with the cultivation of tubers. This new volcanic material mixed ith topsoil produces fertile soil. The Aeta farmed with this new type of soil. This mixture of sand and topsoil made farming easier especially when dealing with root crops, vegetables, and peanuts.
Mt. Pinatubo Video
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